What explains the rapid rise in entrepreneurship among Indian women? This book looks for answers

Nestled in the crowded bazaar of Jail Road Market in New Delhi is a tiny shop selling colourful kurtas and pants for women, a common business in this neighbourhood and in hundreds of similar markets across northern India. However, the owner of this shop and her story are anything but common. The owner is Jasmeen Kaur, creator of the now-famous words “So beautiful, so elegant, just looking like a wow!”

Kaur shot to fame with this catchy phrase when Bollywood star Deepika Padukone recited it on social media and made it famous. The rise of Instagram and social media, as well as their accessibility to millions of Indians, ensured that the phrase “looking like a wow” became “viral” and made Kaur a celebrity, potentially creating a pan-India – as opposed to local – market for her wares. She signifies the rise of a new India; an India where polished English and high-profile university degrees and MBAs are no longer a prerequisite for success.

Today India has millions of successful women entrepreneurs like Kaur. According to Bain and Co, there are approximately 15.7 million women-run enterprises in India, constituting 22 per cent of the overall entrepreneurial landscape, a figure that has the potential to rise to 30 million...

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